Indicator for note-sheets.



T. DANQUARD. INDICATOR FOR NOTE SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.18, 1909.

` 1,058,041.v Patented Apr. s. 1913.

UNITED sTArns ragrnnr ernten.

THOMAS DANQUARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR AUTO PNEUMATTC ACTION CO.,A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INDICATOR FOR NOTE-SHEETS.

To all whom it may concern y Be it known that I, THOMAS DANQUARD, acitizen of the United States, residing at N ew York in `the r:ounty ofNew York and. State of ew York, have invented a new and useful Indicatorfor Note-Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic musical instruments in which a notesloeet travels over a tracker. Y

'T he principal object of the invention is to provide means whereby thedeviation of the note sheet from its normal track will be indicated inan unmistakable manner and at the same time the direction of deviationwill be shown. l

In a player piano, particularly one using an eighty-eight note trackerWith a hand adjusting device, the operator has to keep hisl attentionconstant-ly on the music sheet to note when it deviat-es from its properpath. This is very difficult and he often fails t note the deviationuntil his attention is called to it by the improper operation of theinstrument. This is particularly the case where there isnot very goodlight and it is extremely hard for theoperator to tell when slightdeviation has occurred or to tell to vwhich side the paper moves.The-latter, of

course, is absolutely necessary to know how to operate the guidingdevice properly. By the use of this invention these di'tliculties areentirely avoided.

lifeterence is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a trout elevation ot a tracker box and connected partsshowing a preferred en'ibodiment. oil the invention applied thereto withthe note sheet in its proper posit-ion.I Figi 2 is a fragmentary view ofthe tracker' thereotl .showing` how the device indicates the deviationof the sheet. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view ot' the tracker boxtaken just above the tracker, and Fig. 4 is an end View of a portionthcreol.

The invention is illustrated as applied to an instrument, either aplayer or automatic piano, which is provided with a tracker box lt),tracker ll, music spools 12 for carrying the music sheet 15S, and ahand-adjusting device ift by which the music sheet can he brought intoproper registration with the tracker when it deviates. It. will heunder.- stood ot `course that the invention is equally applicable tothat class ol instruments in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 18, 1909.

Patented Apr. 8,1913.

serial 110,513,394.

which the tracker is moved instead of the sheet to cause registration.

In order to provide for indicating the di rection and extent ofdeviation of themusic sheet, means is provided in the tracker box andadjacent to one or both edges ot the music sheet, by which the positionof the edge will be readily apparent to the eye. This means, in the formillustrated in the drawings, consists of an indicator 15 mountedadjacent to the tracker and in tact pret erably directly on the front orworking face thereof. This indicator preferably is made of a.I color orappearance contrasting with that of the tracker so that it can readilybe observed. It maybe in the form of a continuous or interrupted mark,line, or set of characters on the tracker, but it preferably consists ofa piece of material inserted into the tracker, as is most clearly shownin Fig. 3. If the tracker is made of metal, yellow or white, it is.preferred t0 use a black material for thel indicators, as for example,

hard rubber, or a dark metal, so as to give a. high contrast in colors.

This indicator can be located on both sides of the music sheet and nearthe opposite ends of the tracker, as shown.

Although different forms and positions ot' the indicators arepermissible, it is preferred to make them rhomboidal and of equal sizeand t0 place them in oppositely angular positions both making the sameangle with the longitudinal axis of the tracker so that the deviation ofthe sheet will be more clearly indicated by the relative sizes of thetriangles which appear at the two sides ot the sheet. This is clearlyindicated in Fig. '2.

lt. will be observed that particularly with the preferred form of theinvention the dcviee is of such a character that it will not readily beobliterated by the use of the instruimnnt and that when the 'paper is innormal position the two triangles of contrasting n'iaterial will appearot' equal size on both sides, but as soon as the paper travels out otits normal path, the difference in size otl the triangles will readilybe noticed even in a poorly lighted room or at -eon.

siderable distance, without subjecting the cye to any particular strain.On account. ot the fact that a'triangle shows on each side any deviationwill not. onlyy vary the width ot' the visible portion, but also itslength, and when tho length becomes constant the shape will be varied,that is, the figure -will change from a triangle to a trapeaoid. Withthis arrangement, the operator can see at a glance, without much specialattention, when the paper travels out of its proper path and in whichdirection it deviates so that he can work the shifting device ac`curately. ln this way the operator can detect any deviation withoutbeing obliged to watch closely the perforations in the paper and theopenings of the tracker.

I am aware that many modilications can be made in the form of theinvention shown without departing from the .scope of, the same asexpressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to allthe details of construction shown and described, but

Vhat I do claim is l. As an article of manufacture, a tracker box havinga tracker, a music sheet, and two narrow indicators on the working faceof the tracker under the edges of the music. sheet of a colorcontrasting,` with that ot the working face of the tracker and havingtheir outer edges converging toward one side of the tracker and makingthe saine angle with the longitudinal axis of the tracker on oppositesides thereof.

2. As an article of manufacture a tracker box for a pneumatic musicalinstrument having a tracker over which a music sheet is adapted to pass,and two narrow indicaters located in the plane of the Workin tace of thetracker, one at each end thereo cach inclined at substantially the sameangle to the longitudinal axis of the tracker and in the ath of theedges of the sheet, and so locatedpas to be partially and equally covered by the sheet when in normal or tracking position to exposetriangular portions of the indicators, said indicators being; rhomboidalin form, of equal size, and of a color contrasting with that of theworking face of the tracker.

3. As an article of manufacture a tracker for a music sheet having inthe plane of the .tace thereof in position to come under the edges ofthe music sheet when in normal or tracking position7 a pair of narrowequal and rhomboidal indicators contrasting in color from that ot theworking :tace of the tracker and having their sides inclined atsubstantially7 the same angle to the longitudinal axis of the tracker,whereby triangular portions of said indicators will be exposed when thesheet is in normal position.

In testimony whereof l'. have hereunto set my hand, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS DANQUARD.

Witnesses z C. irl. JOHNSTON, YV. E. RaMMnLKni/ir.

